


Moving In

by olio



Category: Provenance - Ann Leckie
Genre: Other, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 13:56:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13055349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olio/pseuds/olio
Summary: Garal moves into the ship.





	Moving In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackedofSpades](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackedofSpades/gifts).



“So, how do you like your new home?” Tic asked Garal as they entered his ship, waving one arm expansively.

Garal rolled eir eyes. “I’ve spent how much time here already?” E didn’t mind, though. The first time e’d come to this ship it had been a rebirth for em, the start of a new—and, e had to say, _much_ improved—life. And now the ship felt far more like home than anywhere on Hwae ever had.

“Ah,” Tic said, holding up a finger, “but now it’s _yours_ , which I assure you, feels entirely different. Just think of the operating costs! Worry about scratching the paint!” He struck a pose, hands clasped to his heart, a faux grimace of pain on his face.

Garal smiled. “I’ll be sure to act scarce when the bill collectors come.”

Garal looked back at Tic in mock affront. “What’s the point of having a beautiful trophy nife if not to distract our debtors while I make a hasty getaway?”

“Oh, is that all I’m good for?” Garal wrapped one arm around Tic’s shoulders. “A pretty face to distract your opponents?”

“Well,” Tic’s grin turned lascivious, “I’m sure I could come up with something else, if you ever got bored.”

It felt _good_ to have this acceptance, a place where e felt _wanted,_ unconditionally, free to be emself with someone e liked and was coming to care for very much indeed. Being Pahlad had never done much for em, and the Budrakim name even less—unless one was to count a stint in “compassionate” removal for the family’s sake as any sort of positive, which e very much did not. Though e did have to give it one thing. Without it, e’d probably still be on Hwae, still mired in Budrakim family drama, and e was well rid from that. E _really_ could have done without family members who were willing to consign their own to a living death. And Tic. E couldn’t bring emself to regret meeting Tic. All things considered, life was going remarkably well these days, much better than e’d dreamed it would.

(Though e still quite stop hoarding food, afraid this newfound security could be snatched away at any moment. E still woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, thinking e’d returned to compassionate removal, or dreading that _this_ was the dream, that e’d never left, that e had only imagined a better life, something far away from the never ending nightmare. E wasn’t sure this would ever leave, but e was determined to stop it from becoming anyone else’s reality if e could help it.)

“Now, shall I leave you to settle in? Make yourself at home.” Tic wavered, suddenly looking uncertain, as if he wanted to say something more, but wanted to allow Garal eir space as well.

Garal decided e was having none of that.

“Come here, you,” Garal said, dropping the small bundle that contained all eir belongings and wrapping both arms around Tic and leaning over to press their foreheads together. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve gotten laid?” Compassionate removal was really not the best place to find romantic partners.

With their faces this close, their breath mingled, and Tic raised his hands to cup Garal’s face, fingers gently stroking along eir jaw, eir cheek, soft touches as he explored eir face. Then finally— _finally_ —Garal bent down that last little bit to eliminate the space between them, and their lips met in a kiss that felt long overdue. They’d kissed before, but this time felt like something new was happening, and they were awkward, at first. But slowly they began getting to know one another, lips brushing against lips, tongues tentatively probing, warm and wet. It felt so _right,_ to be so close together, to taste one another, clasped in each other’s arms, and Garal let emself melt into the kiss.

Minutes—hours— _centuries_ later, they surfaced, panting. Garal smiled, a slow, luxuriant smile, and Tic mirrored the expression. Grabbing Garal’s hand, Tic pulled em along, and instead of returning to the rooms Garal had occupied before, he brought Garal to his own room.

Once at the door, Tic stopped. “You’re sure about this?” he asked. “Don’t feel any obligation. I like you, I think you’re great and incredibly hot, but the only way this is happening is if you also want it.”

Garal nodded. “I’m sure.” Then e grinned. “You’re not bad looking yourself, you know.” E slipped a quick peck on Tic’s cheek, and together they crossed the room to Tic’s bed.

They sat down and Garal pulled at Tic’s tunic, opening the neck, letting eir palms come to rest against the newly revealed skin. E delighted in the touch, the texture as e slipped eir fingers along Tic’s chest, exploring. Tic pulled back only to raise his tunic over his head and discard it on the floor, allowing Garal free rein. Garal slipped eir fingers over Tic’s nipples, and felt as he shuddered, nipples perking up against eir palms.

Then he pushed his hands up under the hem of Garal’s shirt, fingers ghosting along warm skin as he caressed Garal’s stomach in turn, and it was Garal’s turn to shiver in delicious sensation.

Garal speared eir fingers through Tic's hair, luxuriating in the sensation of the cool waves running over eir hand before pulling their heads together for another kiss. This time, the tentativeness was gone, and they kissed hard and long, finally pulling away, panting, for air.

Garal unfastened eir sarong, revealing eir cock, already hard, before pulling off the remainder of Tic’s clothing as well. E spent a few moments just admiring Tic, his body now fully revealed, as Tic did the same, before they came together, pressing naked skin to naked skin.

Tic wrapped his fingers around Garal’s cock, rough fingers moving across hard flesh, and Garal moaned in pleasure, barely able to contain his pleasure. Then Tic pulled lubricant from a side drawer, and took it to apply to Garal’s cock, hand slowly applying it. The he raised himself over Garal, and e grasped his hips, guiding him down as flesh met flesh, and Garal’s cock entered Tic.

The joining was electric. Garal felt it from the top of eir head to the tips of eir toes, eir whole body suddenly so taut, poised on the edge of a precipice. Tic’s face showed his own ecstasy, and slowly he began to move, up and down, as Garal used eir own grip on Tic’s hips to assist him. They moved together, starting slow and gentle but gradually developing a rhythm, the two of them moving in sync as they became _one,_ no longer two separate people, but rather one new being, no more Garal or Tic, just one thing of pleasure. Garal grasped Tic’s cock, pumping it with one hand even as they continued to move, and suddenly Tic spasmed, letting out a shout as he came Then finally, _finally,_ Garal’s own release came, and e let emself go, crashing in waves of ecstasy.

 

Afterward, Tic rolled off Garal and wrapped an arm around em. Sleepily, they cuddled together, dozing off, arms around one another, and Garal smiled. Now, e had a home, e had somewhere e belonged, and e had someone e felt he could very much belong with. And e hoped that would stay true for a very long time.


End file.
